Danish cucumber salad (agurkesalat)

This Scandinavian recipe for pickled sliced cucumber is an easy way to spice up any meal. Pop it on your open-faced sandwich, add it to your hotdog, or serve it up as a side dish at dinner. Alternatively, it’s just a simple tasty snack when you’ve got the munchies!

Ingredients

1 cucumber

1 cup of warm water

1 cup of distilled white vinegar

5 tbsp of sugar

Salt and pepper, seasoned to taste

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Do this until the sugar is fully dissolved. (Tip — some people do this in a cooking pot over a medium heat to help the sugar dissolve, but if you decide to do this, just make sure it doesn’t boil.)

Slice the cucumber into very thin pieces and place them into a glass jar.

Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar so the cucumbers are submerged.

Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (longer if you wish) before serving.

Serving suggestion: You may wish to hide one whole almond inside the pot of rice porridge before serving it into the bowls. It’s an old Scandinavian tradition that some households still hold dear. It can be great fun seeing who finds the almond!

Background: Danish cucumber salad

Pickling is a fundamental part of the Danish culinary tradition. From fish to vegetables the Danes love to pickle, and this recipe is part of that culture.